All Gone Wrong
by yellow duck
Summary: Just after Hermione's twenty-first birthday, she falls in love with both George Weasley, and her best friend, Harry Potter. Who will she choose? Will either guy realize what's going on? Might be R later... please RR!
1. Surprise!

All Gone Wrong

By yellow duck

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Disclaimer: I donÕt own any of the Harry, Hermione, Ron, George, Ginny, etc. I wish I did, but J.K. Rowling made them up first. 

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Chapter One: Surprise!

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It was 3:55, and the brown-haired young woman was punctual. She waited for the lift, wearing a pair of corduroy trousers and a light blue sweater. When the lift finally arrived, she stepped into impatiently. If the lift didnÕt go fast, she would be late. Ding! The lift door slid open, and let her out. She checked to make sure it was the right floor. Yes, okay, the fifth floor. Then she wrung the doorbell of flat 5C.

ÒWho is it?Ó called an excited female voice. Strange, she thought, Harry didnÕt mention anyone else coming, except for Ron. Perhaps it was the Irish girlfriend sheÕd never metÑCatherine, or Katie, or something like that.

ÒWho is it?Ó the voice asked again.

Whoops! SheÕd forgotten to announce herself.

ÒItÕs Hermione.Ó

ÒCome in!Ó A blonde girl with alarmingly wide green eyes opened the door. She looked overly innocent.

ÒAre you Catherine?Ó Hermione demanded.

ÒCome, now, thatÕs no way to greet Kelly,Ó Ron said, stepping forward with a grin.

ÒSorry,Ó Hermione muttered.

ÒFollow us,Ó Ron and Kelly led Hermione into the living room, which appeared to be empty. Suddenly, people popped out from behind chairs, under tables, and around potted plants.

ÒHappy birthday, Hermione!Ó everyone yelled in unison.

ÒHallo. I didnÕt know you all would be hereÉÓ Hermione paused, and the guests laughed politely.

ÒHullo, Hermione,Ó said Harry, coming up to her at once. ÒWere you surprised?Ó

ÒVery,Ó she told her best friend of nearly eleven years.

ÒTwenty one years now, eh?Ó

ÒYes, soon IÕll be an old lady,Ó said Hermione, smiling.

ÒOld? No way! YouÕre still young.Ó

ÒI suppose. But sometimes I feel soÉ I donÕt know, maybe itÕs nothing.Ó She looked up into his emerald green eyes, and shuddered slightly. What was it about his gaze that made her feel like this? She couldnÕt figure out if the peculiar feeling was good or bad.

ÒMione,Ó Harry said, softly, ÒAre you sure youÕre okay?Ó

Hermione nodded. He was looking at her with a puzzled expression on his face, as if trying to read something in another language.

ÒDo you want to anything to drink?Ó It seemed to be the only thing he could come up with.

ÒAlright.Ó She watched as he walked off, towards the table were all the drinks were set out. He had a funny, bobbing walk. He bobbed up, down, up, down. Hermione giggled, as she watched her friend bounce across the room.

Harry turned around, seeming to realize he was being watched. He raised his eyebrows, comically. Hermione giggled even harder. ÔHeÕs such a clown,Õ she thought to herself.

ÒHullo.Ó Hermione felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. It was George Weasley.

ÒOh! Hi, George. I havenÕt seen you in ages. HowÕve you been? Is your wife here?Ó Hermione had many other questions for the red-haired man, but she didnÕt want to overload him. He must be twenty-four now, at least. Goodness! She hadnÕt seen him in nearly four years.

ÒIÕve been fine, IÕve been fine,Ó George assured her, with a grin.

ÒExcellent! And your wife? Amy, wasnÕt it?Ó Hermione asked.

ÒYes, Amy,Ó said George, darkly. ÒWeÉ are divorced. She wasÉ well, I donÕt think we were exactly a match made in Heaven.Ó

ÒIÕm sorry! I didnÕt know.Ó She tried to comfort him, by wrapping one arm around his back.

ÒBut I donÕt mind. Now that IÕm single again, I can get pretty young womenÑsuch as yourselfÑinto my bed again,Ó George told her, mischievously. ÒItÕs definitely worth it.Ó

ÒGeorge!Ó Hermione exclaimed, shocked.

ÒIÕm kidding, IÕm kidding,Ó he said, laughing.

ÒYouÕd better be, you horrible man,Ó she replied, laughing as well.

ÒWhat,Ó George inquired, smiling evilly Òif I wasnÕt kidding?Ó

ÒNaughty boy!Ó Hermione exploded, whacking him across the face with her handbag.

Suddenly, George leaned forwards and kissed her on the mouth. Hermione didnÕt know what to do. She felt she should shove him away, but she was almost enjoying his kiss. Of course, she shouldnÕt enjoy it. But she did, anyway. She couldnÕt help it.

ÒExcuse me.Ó Harry had reappeared with the drinks, and was eyeing Hermione and George coolly.

The two jumped apart, both feeling quite guilty at being caught Òin the act,Ó so to speak.

ÒI really must go now, Hermione,Ó George said, hurriedly. ÒIt was nice talking to you.Ó And with that, he dashed off, leaving Hermione to face Harry, alone.

ÒI see I canÕt even leave you, to get drinks, without you snogging someone,Ó Harry said, attempting a joke. He faked a smile, but Hermione could see something else in his eyes. Was it hurt? Why? No, that couldnÕt be it.

ÒIÑI donÕt know what to say,Ó Hermione replied, meekly, as she smoothed her hair.

ÒAnyway, IÕm glad it didnÕt go any farther. HeÕs married, you know.Ó

ÒNot any more,Ó she retorted, in defense. Ò George isnÕt that low. HeÕs divorced. DonÕt worry.Ó

ÒI see.Ó Harry looked at the floor. Then Harry remembered the drinks, and handed Hermione a glass of red wine.

ÒThanks! IÕm really glad you didnÕt get me a martini. IÕm not the type.Ó Hermione took a sip of the wine, and smiled.

ÒNo, you arenÕt the type.Ó Harry smiled back, and this type it was a true smile, if a bit of a sour one.

ÒHi!Ó Ginny, Ron, and Kelly had drifted over towards Hermione. They exchanged hellos, and small talk, in preparation for what they all knew would be a long night of partying.


	2. Too Much Wine

All Gone Wrong

By yellow duck

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Disclaimer: I donÕt own any of the Harry, Hermione, Ron, George, Ginny, etc. I wish I did, but J.K. Rowling made them up first. 

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Chapter Two: Too Much Wine

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By two, all the guests had left, and Hermione was on her fourth glass of wine. Ron and Kelly had been the last to go, staying to watch Hermione sigh over a mound of opened presents. Now it was just the two friends. Harry completely sober, drinking coffee at a snail-like pace, and Hermione in the new silver necklace someone had given her, teetering around, trying not to appear drunk.

ÒOkay, ÔArry, IÕm ready to go now,Ó Hermione said, her normally clear voice slurred. ÒThank Ôou for the lurvly evening. GÕ night!Ó

ÒAh, no offense meant, Mione, but I donÕt think itÕs safe for you to go home alone.Ó

ÒVery well. ÔOu can take me then.Ó She held up her arms, like a little girl asking to be carried by her father.

ÒThatÕs enough, Mione! IÕm getting out the de-liquoring potion.Ó

ÒNo! Please, please doughnut!Ó She wailed. ÒItÕs disgusting!Ó

ÒYou must be sober,Ó said Harry, sarcastically, ÒÕcause you just said ÔdoughnutÕ instead of Ôdo not.ÕÓ

ÒWuht?Ó

ÒNever mind.Ó Harry hurried off to fetch the de-liquoring potion. A couple minutes later, he returned with a glass vial filled with a strange purple liquid.

ÒNo! Please, no!Ó Hermione got down on her knees to beg.

ÒOpen up, wide!Ó

Hermione furrowed her brow in confusion, and her mouth fell open, just slightly.

ÒHere we go,Ó Harry cried, lunging forward, and pouring the potion down HermioneÕs throat.

ÒAhÑÒ

HermioneÕs pleas were stopped as she struggled not to swallow the potion. But it had already gone down.

ÒGood girl,Ó Harry remarked, as his friend closed her eyes, and curled up on the couch, the effects of the potion already sinking in.

As Hermione slept, peacefully, Harry changed into his pajamas, and leaned back on his bed, reading, waiting until he, too, drifted off to sleep.


	3. More than Friends?

All Gone Wrong By yellow duck ***************************************************************** Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry, Hermione, Ron, George, Ginny, etc. I wish I did, but J.K. Rowling made them up first. ***************************************************************** Chapter Three: More than Friends? *****************************************************************  
  
When Hermione regained consciousness, she could smell the scent of bacon and coffee wafting through the flat. Parvati, her roommate, must be up already. She opened her eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the light. It took almost a full minute for her to realize she wasn't at home. Where was she?  
  
"Oh my god! This is Harry's flat! How did I get here?" Then last night came back to her. She was very, very glad the night had ended with her taking the de-liquoring potion, and falling peacefully asleep. Who knows what she would've done after all that alcohol? She shuddered to think of it.  
  
Just then, Harry walked into the room, wearing only his pajama bottoms. Hermione nearly fell off the couch. What was going on?  
  
"Harry," she called out.  
  
Instantaneously, he looked down at her. "Yes?"  
  
"Go put something on top," she commanded.  
  
"Alright then, I will." And he bobbed off, just as he had at the party, but this time to get a shirt, rather than drinks. This time too, Hermione watched him. But his bobbing walk wasn't what the watched. It was his bare skin that Hermione followed, with her eyes. She found herself thinking about him in a way she never had before. After a minute, she went back to thinking of him the normal way. But his bare-chest would always leave a mark on her.  
  
Harry bobbed back, wearing a t-shirt, and smiling. "Better now, Mione?" he asked her.  
  
"Mmm," she murmured, though inside she was almost sorry-no! She wasn't sorry! He was her best friend. She should never, ever, think of him that way.  
  
"Okay. Ready of breakfast?"  
  
"Yup." Hermione grinned at her friend, when she saw he was offering her his hand.  
  
"Thanks," she said, as she took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. Then they walked together into the kitchen, for breakfast. Two hours later, Hermione and Harry and had both eaten and showered. Harry was dressed, and Hermione wore her clothes from yesterday. They had both decided she should come to lunch with him, at Diagon Alley.  
  
"Should we Apparate?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, don't you think traveling by floo powder is a bit fun?"  
  
Harry gulped. "Yes," he said, though what he really thought was "not really."  
  
"Okay, do have any floo powder?"  
  
Ah, good! Harry didn't have any floo powder. So they would have to Apparate. Phew. "Oh, no I don't. What a shame. I guess we should Apparate then," said Harry, quickly.  
  
"Wait! No, that's all right. I have some in my purse." Hermione smiled, warmly, and glided off to get her purse.  
  
"Damn," Harry muttered, quietly.  
  
Hermione returned, with a triumphant expression on her face, holding a plastic baggie full of floo powder.  
  
"You go first, Harry," Hermione said, encouragingly.  
  
"Um, okay." Harry reached into the baggie and pulled out a handful of the powder. Then he walked over to the fireplace, opened his hand, and let the floo powder fall onto the flames. There was a loud roar, and the flames changed to a rich, deep, green color. Harry stepped into the fireplace, and yelled, "Diagon Alley!" He felt the strange, dizzying sensation he felt every time he traveled by floo, and then, suddenly, he was in the fireplace at Forsecute's Ice Cream Parlor. He scrambled out, hurriedly, and waited for a minute, until Hermione came behind him.  
  
"Hallo," Hermione said, pleasantly, when she stepped out of the hearth. "Wasn't that fun? I always like traveling by floo powder."  
  
"Yes, I enjoyed it quite a bit," Harry lied. He didn't like lying to her, but he didn't want her to know he hated floo travel. After all, if she liked, she should be able to travel by it. He just wanted to make her happy.  
  
Hermione seemed to read his thoughts. "You're so sweet," she said quietly.  
  
Harry blushed. "Pardon?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You just said I was sweet."  
  
"Did I? Sorry."  
  
"No, no, it's okay."  
  
"In any case," she said, attempting to change the subject, "shall we go get lunch?"  
  
"Sounds good to me!"  
  
Harry smiled at Hermione, but she just turned her head away, to keep him from seeing the color in her face. Had she actually said that out loud? Crap! Now he would know she liked him-but she didn't. 'Oh, shut up,' she told the little voice inside her. 'I'm in love with my best friend. So what?' The little voice was amazingly loud when it answered. 'IT"S JUST WRONG!!!' That should've been enough to make Hermione change her mind about Harry, but it didn't, not quite.  
  
When the two friends arrived at the restaurant, which was called "La Belle Witch," they found a small table in the back.  
  
"Hmm. this is nice. I've never been here before. How did you find it?" Harry asked.  
  
"Viktor and I used to come here, back when we were dating."  
  
"Is the food good?"  
  
Hermione felt the color rising in her cheeks. "Well, actually, it's pretty decent, but we came here more to snog in the basement.  
  
"Oh, I see." Harry stared at her. He kept giving her an odd look.  
  
Hermione hid her face behind the menu. Somehow, lately, Harry kept finding out things about her that made her seem like a-a-she didn't want to even think the word. First he caught her snogging George, and then he got her into a spot where to felt he had to tell him about her and Viktor. Hermione distracted herself by trying to decide what to order. Finally, she chose a chicken dish.  
  
"Are you ready to order," asked a waiter.  
  
"I am," said Hermione. "Are you, Harry?"  
  
"Yes, I am." Harry was still giving her that funny look.  
  
"Well," Hermione announced, "I'd like the herb-roasted chicken breast with mashed potatoes and spinach, please."  
  
"Of course, madam. Anything to drink?"  
  
"Ah, just a glass of coke, please."  
  
"And for you?" This time the waiter directed his question at Harry.  
  
"Can I get the three-cheese ravioli, please?"  
  
"But of course."  
  
"Thanks. And a coke for me, too."  
  
"Excellent."  
  
The waiter walked off to serve another table.  
  
The two finished their lunch quickly, and went for a stroll, down Diagon Alley. Presently, Hermione looked at her watch, and realized how late it was.  
  
"My goodness, it's five already. I'd better be going, or Parvati will be worried."  
  
"I wouldn't count on it," Harry told her, with a grin. "I saw her leave with Dean Thomas last night."  
  
"Not again," groaned Hermione, good-naturedly. "She'll be acting like an airhead for the rest of the week." They both knew that when Parvati went home with a guy, she would be infatuated with him for about a week, and then promptly dump him, before moving on to someone else.  
  
"Exactly, she won't even notice your not there. In fact, she may have brought Dean back to your flat-"  
  
"In which case she'll kick me out of the bedroom, so she and Dean can have some privacy," Hermione said, finishing the sentence for Harry.  
  
Harry laughed. "So I guess you'll just have to spend the night with me again."  
  
"On the couch?" asked Hermione, just to make sure.  
  
"Of course," Harry said, though he looked almost-oddly enough-disappointed.  
  
****************************************************************** A/N: How do you like it so far? I gave you guys a nice, long chapter this time. Hope you like it. I promise the next chapter after this will be a bit more eventful.  
  
Thank you to my first reviewers!  
  
lightprincess: I'm trying to get rid of the weird things. Somehow, when I upload, all my comas, apostrophes, quotations marks, etc. get changes to those symbols. Sorry!  
  
nikki: I can't tell you yet, but you'll find out soon. :D  
  
Jaina: Hope you like this chapter, too!  
  
And for all my other readers: Please let me know what you think! I will change the plot according to what readers want. But, most of all, enjoy!Half an hou 


	4. Sexy Evil Murderess

All Gone Wrong By yellow duck ***************************************************************** Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry, Hermione, Ron, George, Ginny, etc. I wish I did, but J.K. Rowling made them up first. ***************************************************************** Chapter Four: Sexy Evil Murderess *****************************************************************  
  
It was late when Hermione and Harry returned to his flat, but neither bothered to check the exact time. They knew only that it was very dark out, and the stars twinkled merrily in the sky.  
  
"Welcome back, Mione," said Harry, as he unlocked the door, and let them into the flat.  
  
"Weirdo," she said.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Weirdo," she said again, this time a little bit louder.  
  
"He-ey! Your mean," Harry pouted.  
  
"Too bad," she responded cruelly.  
  
They both laughed, at this.  
  
"You're an evil murderess, and you're out to kill me," Harry announced, through his laughter.  
  
"Yes, I am," Hermione whispered, giving him her best evil murderess look. "I shall hunt you down, and attack you." Suddenly, she pounced on him, screaming.  
  
Somehow, as Harry tried to get her off, their lips met. When they pulled apart, for air, Harry murmured in Hermione's ear, "You're a sexy evil murderess." That sent them laughing hysterically again.  
  
When they had calmed down a bit, Hermione said provocatively, "I'm going to seduce you, and kill you in bed."  
  
"Oh?" Harry asked, kissing her tenderly.  
  
"Yes, I will," she insisted, as she ran her fingers through his hair.  
  
"That might not be so bad." By this time, they were so close, their whole bodies where touching.  
  
"Well, if you don't mind then I'll just." Hermione dashed off, and returned with a meat knife from the kitchen.  
  
"You're going to kill me with that thing?" Harry inquired, dubiously.  
  
"Yup. Do you want me to test how sharp it is?" She advanced on him, holding the knife over her head.  
  
"Uh, that's alright." He took her by the shoulders, and steered her back into the kitchen. "Now be a good girl, and put the pointy, sharp object away."  
  
"But I'm not a good girl," she told him softly.  
  
"Give me the knife."  
  
"Oh, alright." She handed him the meat knife, in mock reluctance.  
  
"Yes, yes." He put it away, and led her into the living room. "Now, you've had you turn at being an evil murderess, now it's my turn to be. er. a. I don't know what to call it, but kind of the male version of an evil murderess."  
  
"A very, very hot highway robber?" Hermione suggested.  
  
"Not exactly. But we'll just forget about it for now." Harry sat Hermione down on the couch, and kissed her passionately.  
  
"I am going to kiss you to death," he explained.  
  
"You're not as evil as I am," she taunted, tossing her long, brown hair over her shoulder.  
  
"Never, ever, insult the Dark Bedmaster," Harry said, kissing her again, this time on the neck.  
  
"Well, perhaps you're not as evil as I am, but how good are you in," Hermione said, nodded towards the bedroom door, "there."  
  
"Do you really wanna know the answer?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"If you do."  
  
"What if I do?"  
  
Harry shrugged, smiling innocently.  
  
"Alright, I give in. I do want to know the answer."  
  
Come then, Harry said, taking her hand. Then the two walked into the bedroom.  
  
****************************************************************** A/N: Hehe. Just barely not R-level content. I promise, it will stay PG-13. Don't worry. Please, please tell me what you think. I hope nobody thinks it's too. graphic or whatever. Keep reviewing, everyone. And try and tell me what you want me to have in the rest of the story. I mean, if you think Harry and George should get into a fight over Hermione, tell me, and I'll see what I can do. You get the idea. Enjoy!  
  
hh: I was having some trouble uploading, and the punctuation was getting changed to weird symbols, but I fixed it now. Sorry about that. 


	5. Reappearing Georges

All Gone Wrong By yellow duck  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry, Hermione, Ron, George, Ginny, etc. I wish I did, but J.K. Rowling made them up first.  
  
Chapter Five: Reappearing Georges  
  
This time, when Hermione woke up, she remembered where she was. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows, bidding her to get out of bed. But she just lay there, enjoying the warmth of the sun. After a while she asked quietly, "Harry?"  
  
"Morning, Mione," Harry mumbled, kissing her forehead.  
  
"I should probably go." Hermione paused, looking closely at Harry's features. He had been her best friend—and he still was. But it was different now.  
  
"Mione, please, don't leave me all alone," Harry pleaded, stroking his friend's hair.  
  
"I don't want to, but I really should."  
  
"I suppose so. Must you, though?"  
  
"Oh, Harry." She hugged him tightly. "Parvati will miss me."  
  
"She won't!" Harry sat up. "Don't you get it? Parvati doesn't give a darn that you aren't at home! She's too busy snogging Dean."  
  
"I—I..." Hermione looked taken-aback.  
  
"I'm sorry," Harry said, realizing how sharp his tone had been.  
  
"It's fine. Just calm down."  
  
"But you will stay, won't you, Mione?"  
  
"No," Hermione gave Harry a reassuring smile. "But I'll be back soon, I promise. I know you don't think Parvati notices my absence, but I need to get back."  
  
"Alright." Harry climbed slowly out of bed, and began to get dressed. Hermione followed him, sighing.  
  
When Hermione arrived home with a small "pop." Parvati was waiting for her.  
  
"Uh, hullo, Parvati. I thought you would be... er, with Dean."  
  
Parvati giggled. "You thought it was me, didn't you? No, no, I'm afraid not. Though maybe he is the man for me. Anyway, that was my sister, Padma."  
  
"Oh no!" Hermione covered her face with her hands. "So you know, do you?"  
  
"Know what?" Parvati asked, angelically.  
  
"Drat it! Don't play innocent with me, Parvati Patil!"  
  
"Fine, fine. Okay, I admit it. Me and Padma—"  
  
"Padma and I. Really, Parvati!"  
  
"Whatever. Anyway, Padma and I were plotting to get you to sleep with Harry. You guys are so obvious. I admit I was plotting. I'm sorry."  
  
"Parvati! I can't believe you." Hermione was ecstatic with fury.  
  
"Whoa, take a chill pill, Minnie."  
  
"And do NOT call me Minnie!"  
  
"Fine. What would you have me call you then? Hermy?"  
  
"How about actually calling me by my name, for once. It's Hermione Marie Granger, you know."Half an hou  
  
"Okay, whatever. Calm down, Mione!"  
  
Hermione bit her lip. She didn't want to ruin her friendship with Parvati, but this was getting out of hand. It made her shiver when Parvati called her "Mione." That was Harry's nickname for her!  
  
Her silence irritated Parvati. "My God, Mione! Just admit you're in love with Harry. It's not such a big thing. Everyone's known it for ages... except you, of course."  
  
"I'm not—"Hermione cut herself off, mid-sentence. Was she in love with Harry? She supposed she was. Otherwise she wouldn't have given herself to him like that, right? But still, her feelings toward him weren't like how she imagined love to be. She didn't feel for him the way she felt for her parents. She didn't just want to make him smile, for him to be pleased with her. She wanted to touch him, taste him, wrap her arms around him, and kiss him, hard. Was that love?  
  
"Do you love him?" Parvati asked, more patiently this time.  
  
"I don't know!" Hermione suddenly burst into tears. "I don't even know, Parvati! I slept with him, but I don't even know if I love him! It's all wrong! It's all gone wrong!" Her words burst forth with amazing speed, as if she'd been longing to say them all her life.  
  
Parvati hugged Hermione. "Come, Mione, it's all right." She patted her friend's head, soothingly, and let her cry until all her tears were gone.  
  
"It's all gone wrong!" Hermione croaked, hopelessly.  
  
"Why don't you take a quick shower? I'm sure you'll feel better once you're clean. Showers are quite refreshing. Wouldn't you agree?"  
  
"Okay." Hermione squeezed Parvati, and then walked into her room, where she undressed, before stepping into the shower.  
  
The doorbell rang.  
  
Parvati rose, gracefully, and took her time smoothing her hair and brushing off her skirt. Finally, she opened the door. She was surprised, the moment she saw the figure standing in the hallway. It was George Weasley—whom she would never expect to see at their flat. But that was not the only thing that surprised her. She remembered him as a skinny, teenage boy, nothing to get excited about. But he'd filled out, now, and was very good-looking. His red hair had darkened, and his freckles were less visible. He had developed a muscular body, and was dressed respectably, if casually.  
  
"George?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow, and shooting him her most seductive look.  
  
When he spoke, his voice was low, and intimate. "Hullo, beautiful. Parvati, isn't it?"  
  
Parvati giggled. "Maybe."  
  
"I suppose you want tot know why I'm here?"  
  
"Yes, I do, as a matter of fact."  
  
George stepped inside, and let one hand slide around Parvati's neck.  
  
"Aren't you going to tell me why you're here?" Parvati let her eyes widen, innocently.  
  
"I'll tell you—later."  
  
He leaned forward and brushed his lips across Parvati's. She wrapped her arms around him, and smiled. "Why are you here, George?"  
  
"I've come to see Hermione," George said, bluntly.  
  
Parvati pulled away from him. "This isn't right," she muttered.  
  
"All right, as you wish." George backed away from Parvati. "Where's Hermione?"  
  
Parvati waved her hand in the direction of the bathroom. "Taking I shower. She's a bit... upset." She had to work hard to keep herself from mentioning the reason Hermione was upset.  
  
George chuckled. "Don't bother keeping it from me, I'm not a gentle flower, you know. I won't have a fit. She and Harry... didn't they?"  
  
Parvati looked at George, uncertainly. Finally, she managed to get out, "Yes, yes they did. We've been expecting it would happen sooner of later."  
  
"'We'?" George asked, his eyes twinkling. So, he wasn't mad at her. It was good of him. She had seen the way he had kissed Hermione at the party.  
  
"Well, Padma, Lavender, Seamus, Dean, Ron and I. Everyone from our year, pretty much; everyone who knew them. It was pretty obvious, recently." Parvati spoke quietly. She wasn't used to be around men like George. He was very peculiar, not like most men.  
  
George grunted. "I see. Did you think I would kiss her?"  
  
"No, I have to admit. No one thought you'd pay any attention to Hermione. But then again, we all thought you were happily married."  
  
"No, no. Far from it."  
  
"Was she pretty? Amy? Your ex?"  
  
George looked amused. "Yes, she was. Lovely, Amy was. Long, dark hair, she had, and bright blue eyes. Gorgeous long legs, too."  
  
"Did you—did you love her? What happened? Why—why... did the marriage fall apart?" Parvati knew she sounded rude. But she was curious, and wanted to know more about George's mysteriously short marriage.  
  
"Long story," George said, simply.  
  
"We've time," Parvati responded. "Hermione should take a while."  
  
George took a long time in answering. Finally, he spoke, and even then, his words came out slowly. "I think I married her more for her looks, than anything else. And she married me to avoid a bad reputation."  
  
"She was pregnant? You have a child?" Parvati breathed.  
  
George stared at the ground. "She died." He looked extremely depressed.  
  
"Amy died?"  
  
"No!" George looked horrified, and Parvati suspected he still loved his ex- wife. "The child died. She was only an infant..."  
  
Parvati said, gently, "What happened?"  
  
"I don't really know. Amy wouldn't tell me. She seemed really upset, though. I came home from work one day, and Amy sobbing in living room. She said the baby had died, and we both started crying and hugging each other. Then, Amy was like, 'George, you know we can't...' She trailed off. Within a month, we were divorced. I think—I hope we're still friends. But I might never know. She just packed her bags and left, after the divorce. I suspect she's living with her boss, Jon O'Neil. Even when we were married, I think they were, well, sort of—a couple."  
  
Parvati walked around George, so that she was facing his back. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and kissed his ear, gently. "George, that's horrible. Don't dwell on it," Parvati cooed.  
  
"I'm over it by now," George said, uncertainly.  
  
"Yes, Georgie, clear your mind of all this."  
  
Parvati hugged George, tightly. "Just take a deep breath. It's going to be okay. I know, I know, it's hard to believe." Parvati was used to acting very motherly towards the men in her life. For some reason, they all seemed to be slightly unstable. She thought that was just how men were. It never occurred to her that it was just some men who were like that. It was a bit weird, though, being both a mother figure and a girlfriend to someone. It was just plain strange.  
  
"Parvati, you know we can't go anywhere, don't you? There's Hermione." George's voice sounded like that of a little child, crying to his mother.  
  
"That's okay, I don't mind." Parvati forced herself to sound light-hearted.  
  
"How can you live with that, love? Knowing we can't go forward, only backwards. Or we can just hang in where we are."  
  
Parvati laughed. "How do you know we even have a position at the moment? Maybe we can't go backwards because we're still at the beginning of the tunnel."  
  
"Nice metaphor," George complimented, smiling.  
  
"Do you even want to go anywhere? Should we? Or is it better to leave you solely to Hermione?"  
  
That wiped the smile right off George's face. He pressed his mouth against Parvati's, and sighed, "Don't say that, love. Someday we'll have a future. I'm sure of it."  
  
Parvati blushed. "Don't get all dramatic on me, George Weasley." She looked into his face. "Are you sure you aren't still in love with Amy?"  
  
George pulled away from her, slightly. "No, I don't love her anymore." He wouldn't meet Parvati's eyes. "I love you, Parvati," he muttered, still avoiding her glance.  
  
Parvati covered her face with one hand. "George," she said, softly, "Let's give it some time. Rome wasn't built in a day, you know! And relationships aren't built in a day either."  
  
George nodded, curtly. "All right, love, let's step back and work on it from far away, shall we?"  
  
"No! I didn't mean that—"  
  
"Sure!"  
  
Just then, Hermione came into the room, wrapped in a towel, her long brown hair streaming down her back, dripping with water. "George?" Hermione exclaimed, nearly letting go of her towel.  
  
"The one and only!" George replied, bowing deeply.  
  
"Are you mocking me?" Hermione seemed uneasy.  
  
"Not at all! I only came to see if perhaps you would like to go out for lunch? At Diagon Alley?"  
  
Hermione sighed. She was having déjà vu. "Okay, sure." She said, lowering her head. "Let me get dressed first."  
  
George's responding laugh was a hoarse one. "So be it," he said, smiling. 

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Author's Note: Thank you to all my reviewers!!!!!! This is my longest chapter yet... hope you all enjoy! :D 


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